A NICO TITLE IS BAD FOR F1
Ecclestone believes a win for rock ’n’ roll Hamilton would be better for the sport
THERE is a shell around Nico Rosberg that he has painstakingly built. His mantra equates to ‘ one race at a time’. No thoughts of the title. Declining to answer questions about the topic.
He knows that the approach is not exactly fun or high on repartee in press conferences, but that is not his concern. The pronounced psychology looks likely to turn him into a world champion, given that he leads Lewis Hamilton by 33 points going into tomorrow’s American Grand Prix, the fourth last race of a marathon season.
However, the Rosberg style — not just the careful answers but the understated family-man persona — has not won him pplaudits from the man whose job it is to sell the sport aroundund the world: Berniee Ecclestone.
The artful puppeteer turns 86 next week and his verdicts are drawn from a lifetime in Formula One. He thinks Hamilton’s free- rolling manner,, the bling and the e attitude, is better for business.
‘If Nico won the title it would be good for him and good for Mercedes but it wouldn’t necessarily help the sport because there is nothing to write about him,’ said Ecclestone. ‘Even in Germany it wouldn’t help. You need someone like Lewis.’
Referring to Ferrari’s monosyllabic Kimi Raikkonen, Ecclestone declared: ‘Kimi’s doing a better job than Nico! The drivers now earn a lot of money, which is good except that doesn’t necessarily keep them on their toes. They don’t live in fear. Maybe the financial structure should be changed. They should get a cheque after each race. We must take a look at that. They have an easy life today.’
Imagine the idea of ripping up fat contracts worth £30million and telling the stars in the cars that if they bin it at the first corner they will not get paid. Can anyone see Toto Wolff having that conversation with our Lewis?
Hamilton’s mood so far this weekend has been far more tranquil than in JapanJa fortnight ago. Then his behaviour fitted a traditionaltrad pattern: when oneon thing goes wrong withw Lewis, several morem will too. So after one indiscretion at a press conference, he fell out with the world.w It is anew,su perrelaxed, restudiou slyfriendlyfrie Hamilton that has arrived in Austin, wearing wearin glasses as a fashion accessory rather than an ophthalmic necessity.
He feels at ease in the States and that may have helped to relax him.
He can also be confident that the Circuit of the Americas suits his abilities. He has won three of the four stagings of the race here and was fastest in first practice yesterday. One feels that he needs a win to help nibble away the 33-point deficit he has to Rosberg.
Should the German increase his lead, it would then seem to be near-impossible to overturn the lead in the last three races, in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton said this week that he would take losing out to Rosberg ‘like a man’. It may sound defeatist but it is more likely a psychological ploy to take pressure off himself and make Rosberg ponder precisely the thing he is trying not to: the title.
Hamilton’s starts have been unusually slow this season but he hopes those problems are behind him, saying: ‘I was at the factory last week and we have been working hard to cover up all areas. We hope we have a better formula this weekend.’
Ecclestone was nonplussed in the paddock yesterday when asked about Hamilton’s erratic behaviour in Japan. As a former team boss, however, he knew exactly how he would manage him. ‘I’d let Lewis do what he wants,’ he said. ‘Absolutely. Let him get on with it. I’d help him if I could.
‘He probably does what he does because he’s bored. He wouldn’t go to the press conferences if he didn’t need to. But he has to go — he’d be put back on the grid or something if he didn’t.
‘It won’t be easy for him to win the title, though. If he wins three or four of the next races he still needs some of the things that happened to him earlier in the season (mechanical problems) to happen to Nico.’
The two championship protagonists appeared at a sponsor event in Austin the other night. They took it in turns to appear on the stage. Rosberg promised not to drive for second place, even though he would win the title if he were runner-up (or third on one occasion) in all the remaining races.
‘I am aware of that but I will definitely not be putting any thought into it,’ he said. ‘I am definitely going for the win. If I am in second place behind Lewis I will still be pushing for the win.’
He also promised himself a giant cheeseburger in downtown as celebration if he wins the 56-lap race.
He was asked what goes through his mind in all the idle moments around the track?
‘I love thinking about the family,’ he said. ‘I just spoke to my wife before I came to see you and that’s why I am answering your questions with full respect!’
Boring? Clever? Rosberg will not mind what he is called if his formula delivers the title.